Vietnam's tech heavyweight FPT exec dies at 57

Hoang Nam Tien, vice chairman of FPT University Council and former chairman of FPT Telecom and FPT Software, both under Vietnam's leading IT corporation FPT, died from a stroke on Thursday, aged 57.

Tien, who is also a founding member of FPT Corporation (HoSE: FPT) and former chairman FPT Software, passed away at 4:10 p.m. in Hanoi, FPT stated.

He joined FPT Corporation in 1993 after graduating from Hanoi University of Science and Technology with a degree in computer science. At the time, FPT was still a young enterprise, just five years into its founding.

Throughout his career, Tien was regarded as a leader with abundance of creative ideas and management experience across multiple business areas at FPT. He earned the trust of the corporation’s top executives and was entrusted with many key positions.

In 2001, Tien was appointed the first CEO of FPT Distribution (FDC), where he played a vital role in making it a core pillar of FPT Corporation. At its peak in 2008, FDC accounted for as much as 60% of the group’s total revenue, helping FPT reach its $1 billion target that year.

In 2012, he was appointed chairman of FPT Software, driving annual growth of over 30% for many consecutive years and helping the company break into the ranks of the world’s top 500 software firms and top 100 global IT service providers.

Tien took the helm at FPT Telecom in 2020, steering it through the Covid-19 pandemic.

Since April 2023, he had served as vice chairman of FPT University Council. In this role, he was widely recognized as an inspirational figure, frequently appearing at various educational forums where he motivated students and young people alike.

He also held roles such as head of business planning at FPT Hanoi, deputy director of FPT Ho Chi Minh City, and CEO of Hoa Lac Hi-tech Park Development Ltd., concurrently CEO of FPT Land.

Tien was named one of Vietnam’s 100 outstanding intellectuals in the economic sector by the Vietnam Association of Young Scientists and Engineers in 2012.

In addition to his roles as an entrepreneur, technology expert, and educator, Tien was also widely admired as a mentor for startups and a speaker at major events.

His books included "Letters to You", a collection of his parents’ wartime correspondence published in March 2024, and "Applying AI in Business" released in June 2025.